Wheel Balancing Service Video

Wheel balancing corrects uneven weight around a tire and wheel assembly so it spins true at highway speed. Every tire and wheel has small weight variances from manufacturing, mounting, and wear. This video shows a wheel on the balancer and a technician placing weights exactly where the machine calls for them.

The wheel mounts on a computerized balancer that spins it while sensors measure imbalance in two planes. The machine reports static imbalance, which causes an up-and-down bounce, and dynamic imbalance, which causes a side-to-side wobble. It then shows how much weight to add and exactly where.

Road force balancing goes a step further on larger truck tires and performance wheels. A loaded roller presses against the spinning tire to simulate the weight of the vehicle. That catches stiffness variations in the tire that a standard spin balance can miss.

Vibration between 50 and 70 mph that smooths out at other speeds is the classic sign. Washboard county roads and winter potholes around Grant County can knock weights loose and throw a balanced wheel back out. If the vehicle also pulls to one side, a wheel alignment is the right next step.

Vibration through the steering wheel usually means a front wheel is out of balance, while vibration through the seat points to the rear. Left alone, the constant hop wears cupped patches into the tread that new weights cannot erase. Cupped tires also get louder, and the hum is often mistaken for a bad wheel bearing.

Affordable Automotive Services LLC inspects the hub face, lug seats, and tire condition before balancing. That way a bent rim or separated belt gets caught instead of masked with extra weight. Wheel balancing is part of our suspension, steering, and wheel services, since vibration complaints often involve more than one system.

Old weights come off first, and the rim is cleaned wherever adhesive weights will sit. New weights go on at the exact positions the machine specifies. Each wheel is then spun again to confirm the reading drops to zero.

Balancing all four wheels runs $60 to $100, depending on wheel size and weight type. Larger truck and SUV wheels sit at the upper end of that range. Pairing the balance with a tire rotation saves time, since the wheels are already coming off.

How often should wheels be balanced? A good rule is every time the tires are rotated, or whenever a new vibration shows up. A balance is also standard any time a tire is mounted or repaired.

Is wheel balancing the same as wheel alignment? No. Balancing corrects weight around the wheel so it spins smoothly, while alignment sets the angles that decide how the tires meet the road. A vehicle can need one without the other.

How long does a wheel balancing service take? Balancing all four wheels usually takes 30 to 60 minutes. Adding a rotation in the same visit adds little extra time.

Call Affordable Automotive Services LLC at (509) 764-0000 to schedule wheel balancing. We confirm the price before any work begins, so there are no surprises at pickup. Drivers from Ephrata, Quincy, and Warden choose a trusted mechanic in Moses Lake, WA for balancing alongside routine tire service.